Electric heater for liquids.



, M. H. GONZALEZ. ELECTRIC HEATER FOR LIQUIDS.

APPLIOATION FILED APR.11, 1914.

Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

11/1111 1/1111 III [mil I (lttommg MAY H. GONZALEZ, 0F BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

ELECTRIC HEATER FOR LIQUIDS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

Application filed April 11, 1914. Serial No. 831,195.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, MAY H. GONZALEZ, a citizen of the United States of America. residing at Birmingham, ,in the county of Jefferson and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Heaters for Liquids, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electric heaters for liquids and my object is to provide a heater peculiarly designed and adapted to be placed in a tank of liquid for the purpose of heating the same rapidly and most effectively to evaporate it or generate steam.

One object of my invention is to arrange the heater so as to act at the top surface of the liquid and therefore to be in contact with the hottest liquid in the tank.

A further novel feature of my invention resides in the arrangement of the coil boxes which receive the removable electric heating elements, which elements can be supplied in various sets according to the work required of them. i

My invention further comprises the novel details of construction and arrangement of parts which are hereinafter more particularly described and claimed in their preferred embodiment only, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification, and in which p Figure 1 is a plan view of a tank in the upper portion ofwhich my improved electric heater is seated. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional elevation on the line m-w of Fig. 1, with one of the coil boxes shown in vertical sectional elevation.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

I have shown my improved heater mounted in a tank 1 having attached at intermediate points of its inner walls lugs 2 on which the frame 3 of the heater is supported. The top I of the tank is made flaring and provided with an overflow outlet pipe 5. The water or other liquid is supplied to the tank through an inlet pipe 6 having branch pipes -7 and 8 leading from a coupling 9. I provide valves 10 and 11 in the pipes 7 and 8 so that fluid may be supplied by either; My object for this is to provide the tank with a hot and cold liquid supply, the pipe 7 being connected with a suitable source of hot liquid and the pipe 8 with any suitable source of cold liquid.

equipped with a series of spaced heating units which will now be described. Each gular metal coil box 12 which is water tight in its bottom, sides and ends and is provided g over head with a removable coverl3 which fits-closely over the top of the box. Into each coil box I introduce an electric heating element 14: which may be of any standard construction and which preferably embodies a series of resistance coils set in a plastic body shaped and designed to fit snugly into the coil box. Inasmuch as, un der certain conditions of use contemplated for my invention, it is necessary and desirable to protect the ordinary wire conductors for the current to the several electric heating elements,I have provided as a means to this end a water pipe or conduit 15 through which water flows either to the tank 1 or to the source of supply for its hot supply pipe 7 and through this conduit 15 I pass a pipe 16 in which the wires 17 and 18 are inserted and opposite each tank 1 (where a number are used) a coupling 19 is provided in the pipe 16 and a short pipe section 20 is connected up therewith and passed down through the conduit 15, a suitable gland or stufling box 21 being provided, if desired to avoid leakage, or a small volume of water may be permitted to flow through the pipe 20 into the tank 1. The several heating elements are connected in multiple, each having its wires 22 and 23 passed up through suitable openings in the top 13 of its coil box and being connected with heavy copper conductors or strips 24 and 25. The tops 13 are provided with one or more openings 26 heating unit comprises an open top rectanwhich will permit the ready escape of steam or vapor should the liquid gain access to the coil boxes.

It being one object of my invention to accelerate the evaporation or steam generation of liquid in an open vessel, it will be understood that the vessel itself may be disposed in a steam or vapor tight compartment and any number of the same may be employed together and also if desired heat from any other'source may be applied to the bottom or underside of the tanks to heat the liquid therein in the normal and customary manner. When it is desired however to accelerate this process special heaters can be supplied and the turning on of the current will i of perforated supply an intense source of heat to the top surface of the liquid and greatlyaccelerate its evaporation and vaporization.

As I consider it desirable that the several coil boxes should be separately removable from the frame 3, each is provided at its side edges with upper and lower pairs ears 27, and these ears are bolted to the frame.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is I y 1. An evaporating apparatus for liquids comprising a number of spaced heating elements which are shallow in depth and adapted to spread out overthe top surface a body of liquid to be evaporated, an open frame-work which connects the elements together, and supports to sustain said heaterin contact with the top surface strata only of the liquid and out of contact with the cooler or lower strat of the liquid, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus for the surface heating and evaporation of liquid, an open top liquid containing vessel having an outlet opening near its top, a heater shallow relatively to the depth of the vessel and com- (lopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the I units being disposed prising a series of spaced heating units, means to support said units for engagement with the surface strata of liquid only, said with their tops above the liquid outlet, and means to connect said .units while leaving open the spaces between them, substantially as described.

In an apparatus for surface heating and evaporating liquids, in combination, a liquid tank having an intermediate water inlet opening and a Water outlet opening near its top, inturned flanges disposed about the side walls of the tank and slightly below its outlet opening, a detachable heater mounted on said flanges and comprising a series of spaced heating units and an open top frame to which said units are connected at their ends, said frame being adapted to engage the flanges and support said units, a detachable heating element in each unit, and a perforated top for each unit, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix in presence of two witnesses.

MAY H. GONZALEZ.

my signature Witnesses:

' N OMIE WELSH,

R. D. JOHNSTON, Jr.

Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. G. 

